1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal data capturing systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to integrating personal data capturing functionality into portable computing devices and wireless communication devices.
2. Background Information
Physical fitness is known to benefit people in many different areas, including improved flexibility and range of motion, increased muscular strength and cardiovascular fitness, body fat loss and increased stamina. Physical exercise helps maintain good health, increases energy, reduces stress and improves physical appearance. However, in order to gain the benefits of regular physical exercise, the users need to be able to conveniently access information concerning their exercise level and receive a feedback concerning their fitness activity.
Conventional devices are known for providing such information to the users. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,722 describes a device for measuring heartbeat rate. An athlete or a person engaged in fitness training may wear the device on the breast or the wrist. The device measures the heartbeat rate based on skin contact and allows the user to read the result from a display provided in the casing of the device. U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,042 describes a fitness monitoring device which includes an electronic pedometer integrated together with a wireless heart rate monitor. The device may be secured to the user's belt or waist band. The device receives electrical signals from a telemetric transmitter unit arranged on the user's skin adjacent to his heart and calculates the heart rate. The device is also configured to detect the user's body motion at each step for performing step counting. The user can read the results from a display provided in the casing of the device. The display includes an alpha/numeric display portion and a heart rate monitoring icon. These prior art devices, however, merely allow the users to see the physiological information concerning their exercise level. They do not provide any processed feedback to the users. In addition, these devices can be cumbersome to wear and they force the users to monitor their own activity, thereby interfering with their focus on physical exercise.
Therefore, what is required is a portable device which will provide the users with convenient access to information concerning their exercise level and will effectively assist the users in their fitness activity.